


Angel For Hire

by APerfectLie



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A little angst, Aftermath of Violence, All of the Avengers at some point or another, All the Bad Things that come with HYDRA being involved, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Bucky Bonding With Other People, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Gun Violence, Hydra (Marvel), Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mostly nerds being nerds while fighting crime, Near Death Experiences, No Smut, Non-Consensual Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Bucky Barnes, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Sam Wilson: Wingman Extraordinaire, Spider-Man: Homecoming Spoilers, Steve Rogers Being A Dad, Swearing, Tags May Change, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, a little fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 20:11:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15154751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APerfectLie/pseuds/APerfectLie
Summary: When Abigail and Cassius Cox escape the HYDRA facility, they expected life to be a challenge. What they didn't expect was to become soldiers in someone else's war. Now the twins find themselves at the forefront of a brewing conflict between two powerful factions of a powerful organization.While Cassius struggles to accept his emotional baggage, Abigail struggles to come to grips with her physical condition.Things are further complicated when Abigail starts fighting crime in Queens and catches the attention of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.





	1. Chapter One

     Under the right circumstances, anyone could be untrusting. The problem with Abigail is that she never trusted and yes, not trusting everyone was a good thing. However, lacking the ability to trust even one’s twin is a sure sign of some sort of deep-rooted emotional issues. That’s why it took Abigail ten minutes to work up the courage to walk into the living room where her brother was sitting, watching television.  
     “Hello,” she attempted to sound casual, to sound normal but instead it came out forcefully. She took a seat on the other side of the couch, posture rigid.  
     For his part, Cassius didn’t even seem fazed. “What do you need?” He recognized that tone of hers. She’s either trying to hide something or she’s going to ask him to hide something.  
     Abigail’s wings fluttered, anxious. “Need is a strong word, little brother.” She tried to lighten the mood but it falls flat. “I want to go on a flight around the neighborhood. Something quick. Will you cover for me if Viv gets back before I do?” Her feet tap the floor. They’ve been in the apartment for days, doing nothing but online school and watching movies. Abigail knew they couldn’t just galavant out on the town in broad daylight but the sun was dipped below the horizon now and she could be sneaky. She just wanted out of the building. The ugly voice in her head told her it was because of her, she was different and she was the reason they could never be normal.  
     Cassius looked over at her, placed a hand over his heart in a fake offense. “Without me?” He gives a half smile, knew how bad his sister needed to get out. While he could, in theory, take a nice stroll around in the day, things were harder for her. “Be quick about it and no one has to cover for anyone.”  
     Abigail nodded and made her way to the window. Her hand flits to her hip, where her dagger is secured. She’s not looking for a fight but if the fight came to her...well then, so be it. She fits her body through easy enough but her wings always gave her some trouble as they were so massive. Once she was out, she was standing on a tiny ledge and could see the empty alley below. Here goes nothing, she thought, as she jumped from the ledge.  
     When Abigail was flying, she liked to imagine she was dancing. That the flap of her wings was really the beat of a drum. That the cool air on her face was really her spinning across the floor. That her outstretched arms were really grabbing her next partner. If she closed her eyes, she could see it almost perfectly. No, she thought, that’s not me. Abigail would not be the sort of girl anyone would dance with and she shunned the romantic notions from her mind, instead fully focused on the current sensations. The stretch of her wings, the sight of the borough after dark, the screaming-- wait, screaming? Abigail slowed down and lowered herself closer to the ground to see what was going on.  
     Two men had an old man backed into an alley. One brandishing a crowbar, the other a pair of brass knuckles,  
    “Please! I don’t have any money,” The old man wept.  
    “Guess we’ll just have to beat it outta ya,” Brass spat and swung, nailed the man in the side.  
     That’s when Abigail stepped in. “Excuse me? Didn’t your mother teach you to keep your hands to yourself?” She pulls out her dagger. It was eight inches long with a wicked, gleaming curve. “Now why don’t you gentlemen go on home?”  
     Crow turned, glared hard. He said nothing as he took a hard swing at Abigail. Abigail reeled from the hit to her shoulder but recovered quick enough to take a solid swipe at the man, drew blood from his arm. By now Brass had abandoned the old man, came to stand beside Crow. He looked her up and down and barked out a laugh.  
    “Listen, girlie, you’re outmatched. Don’t you have some cookies to sell somewhere else?”  
     The joke, clearly he had been trying to joke, flew right past Abigail’s head. Instead, she took a swipe at Brass. She got him in the face, right above the eye. He staggered back, tripped over the old man, shouted at Crow to get her. Only this time when Crow took a swing, Abigail grabbed his weapon out of his hand. Careless, she threw it behind her and started at Crow hand-to-hand. She longed for her bow which would have given her the obvious advantage. Crow was not stronger than she was but it had been months, possibly a year, since Abigail had ever needed to fight. She hadn’t even dealt with his friend, who was beginning to get up from his facial injury. Abigail considered picking up the old man and flying him off to safety but she needed to prevent these guys from hurting someone else. Her pride would also suffer a major blow and yet she can’t find it in her to use her real power. The hurt was too raw, too real to even consider using it.  
     They were both on her now and she had started to run out of ideas when a voice from above (God? Surely not, this sounded like a kid.) called out, “Woah! This is not cool guys!”  
     Abigail looked up in time to see someone with their face obscured descend from the side of the wall. She twirled her dagger in her hand, took a defensive stance against this stranger. He must have been there longer than Abigail realized because he didn’t seem to regard her as a threat. Instead, in the most bizarre fashion Abigail had ever seen someone take down someone else, he held out his wrists and the two attackers were stuck to the wall with some sort of...rope? Simultaneously, she was confused and her pride had been wounded. She looked over her shoulder, but the old man had already left. She focused her attention back on the kid in front of her.  
     He seemed to be sizing her up as well, though his attention was on her dagger. She sighed, twirled around her fingers for a second, and slipped it back at her hip. Abigail huffed, blew at a stray piece of hair at her face. “I was handling that, you know.”  
    The kid brings his attention to her face. “That’s not what I call “handling”. You were los--do you have wings? That’s so cool.” He sounded genuinely excited.  
    Abigail rolled her eyes. “Were you really about to say that I was losing?” Her pride was damaged.  
   “Maybe.” The kid dragged out the word like smoke from a cigarette. He coughed, somehow managed to look shy even with his face hidden.  
    Abigail shakes her head. “Let’s get one thing straight, I don’t lose.” With that, she turned her back on the kid and is off in the air, headed right back home.  
~~  
    Peter was left in the alley so utterly confused. Did he just make a friend? An enemy? He reached for his phone. Maybe Mr.Stark had met this girl before. After all, she does have wings so maybe she’d been on his radar before. Peter was curious and he was going to get to the bottom of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome to my first crack at a fan-fiction! I will be updating at least once a week and be advised that some chapters may be updated at random.


	2. Chapter Two

Peter knew that Mr.Stark’s number was only to be used for emergencies. That point had been made clear to him after the fifth time he had asked Mr.Stark to buy out IHoB so that he could change the name back. This time, however, he had a legitimate concern. While the girl hadn’t posed an immediate threat, Peter thought it might be something Mr.Stark should at least be aware of. Still, he felt a bit childish calling Mr.Stark over something so trivial. He should be able to face a potential threat by himself, he is the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, after all.  
“Hey, kid.” Tony picked up on the third ring, tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever it was that Peter was about to say.  
Immediately, Peter launched into his spiel, hardly pausing for breath. “So, really I just thought I’d let you know.”  
There was a beat of silence as Tony tried to sort out Peter’s story. “I’ll look into it. Try not to provoke her, at least until I figure out what’s going on.” Peter nodded, confirmed that he would do his best to stay safe, and the two exchanged goodbyes.  
Peter made his way to his belongings, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and made his way home over the tops of buildings. The new ability was dizzying at first but as he became more accustomed to using it, the more comfortable he was. He was still glad when he made it back to the apartment, relieved when he opened up the window and climbed inside.  
Peter dropped his backpack by his desk and grabbed his phone. He laid down on his bed and was about to send a text to Ned when he heard Aunt May shout for him. He groaned and went into the living room.   
“Pet-- oh, there you are! I’ve been yelling for half an hour.” Aunt May stood with her hands on her hips and Peter felt guilty, immediately. “I was working on something,” Peter fiddled with the bottom of his shirt. “For the Stark internship.”  
May shook her head. “Did it involve going deaf? Anyway, I wanted to know what you wanted for dinner? I was going to make a casserole but it was getting late.”  
Peter shrugged. “I’m not really hungry.”  
“Sorry, it must be my hearing that’s going out. Did you just say you weren’t hungry?” May teased.  
Peter simply shrugged again.  
“Okay, okay. I’m going to make a run to that Chinese place around the corner. I’ll get you something too, just in case you change your mind.” May grabbed her keys. “I’ll be right back, so no crazy parties while I’m gone.” She shot him a smile and Peter returned it, albeit a little half-heartedly.  
Once Aunt May was gone, Peter made a b-line for his room. He picked up his phone and sat back in his bed. He sent Ned a text:

Need some help from my guy in the chair  
It took all of thirty seconds for Ned to reply.

please tell me something cool is happening and you didnt just lose ur student id again.  
Peter scrunched up his face at the memory. Of course, Ned would never let that go. Yes, Spider-Man, the hero of Queens, happened to misplace his student I.D. 

Dude, its serious this time.

Peter told Ned about his evening: seeing the girl, webbing up the bad guys, and his call with Mr. Stark.

u totally just met ur arch nemesis.

Peter’s eyebrows furrowed. He was about to respond when Ned followed up with:

or an ally??? follow her around, get her m.o  
Peter agreed, told Ned they’d talk about it more tomorrow. He heard Aunt May come home and he tucked his phone under his pillow, laid back, and pretended to be asleep. Sure enough, Aunt May knocked on his door a few times and eventually pushed it open. When she Peter was “asleep”, she simply turned out the light and closed the door.  
Peter reached for his phone and his charger. It was late and he did have a physics test tomorrow. However, sleep did not come easy that night, not even for the usual reasons like too much noise outside or being distracted by the internet. All Peter could think of was finding out about that girl. He was interested. He wondered if her wings were just costume pieces or if they were mechanical. Peter pondered this until he eventually fell asleep.  
~~  
Cassius had kept his end of the bargain so Abigail couldn’t be too mad at him. It really wasn’t his fault he was such a bad liar or that Vivienne had, quote, “a keen eye for bullshit”. So when Abigail came in from her little adventure, Vivienne had been waiting for her. Cassius was sat next to her, still focused on the T.V.  
“Have a good trip?” Vivienne asked. Even though she was lounging on the couch, her posture completely relaxed, something her voice made Abigail take pause.  
“Pardon?” Abigail kept her voice flat and devoid of any emotion.  
“Abigail…” Vivienne took a deep breath. “You know you can’t just go out like this. You know right now-”  
“When?” Abigail interrupted. “When will I ever be able to go out?”  
Vivienne stood up. She didn’t match Abigail in height but she was twice as broad and carried herself in a way that made Abigail want to curl into herself. Her wings came forward and wrapped protectively around her. Vivienne approached her, slowly. Abigail took a small step back to try to widen the gap but Vivienne was inches away from her soon enough. That’s when Vivienne noticed the dagger, noticed the blood. “What happened?”  
Abigail swallowed hard. “There were a couple of men. They were attacking another and I stepped in. I can defend myself. I can take care of myself. I am not a child in need of minding!” As she spoke, her voice raised in volume.  
Vivienne remained calm. “I know but what if those men weren’t your everyday crooks? What if they were sent to draw you into a fight so they could capture you, take you back?” Vivienne placed a hand on Abigail’s shoulder as Abigail watched her intently. “You can start leaving when you have more control over your emotions and your powers.”  
“My powers aren’t the problem,” Abigail grumbled. “Will we go to Angie’s tomorrow?” She asked Vivienne.  
Vivienne nodded. “Try to get some sleep tonight.” She gave Abigail’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Both of you.”  
Cassius merely grunted in response.  
Vivienne made her way down the hallway to her bedroom and Abigail took a seat next to Cassius.  
For about ten minutes, Abigail tried to understand the point of the movie Cassius was watching.  
“I don’t get it,” Abigail huffed.  
“You haven’t seen the beginning,” Cassius countered.  
Abigail shrugged. “Do you ever wonder why Vivienne is taking care of us?”  
Cassius grabbed the remote, paused the movie. “Explain.”  
“I don’t quite know but it seems...odd that a stranger would help us. I wonder if maybe she’s getting something out of it.” Abigail looked at Cassius. “But maybe I’m just paranoid…”  
“No,” Cassius stated. “I understand but if she was going to turn on us, she would have already.”  
“Perhaps,” Abigail admitted. “I met someone today, they saw me fighting.”  
“And?” Cassius looked at her, interest in his eyes.  
“They...helped me.” She crossed her arms. “I dare say they stole the fight from me and I was winning!”  
“You pout like a child,” Cassius pointed out. “Were they like us?”  
Abigail nodded. “He shot webs, like a spider.” She thought for another moment. “Also, he sat on the wall behind us. I don’t know how he got up there.”  
“Talent?” Cassius proposed. “If he’s like us...I wonder where he came from.”  
“I don’t think he’s exactly like us,” Abigail said and let out a yawn. “I’m too tired to care, really. What’s done is done.”  
The twins exchanged goodnights, Cassius turned the movie back on and Abigail went to her “room”.  
The two shared a fairly spacious bedroom with a wall divider down the middle. Abigail on the right, Cassius on the left. Neither side was decorated very much but Cassius did have a medium sized bookshelf. Abigail’s side of the room included a dresser, a closet, a twin bed, and a shelf. The walls were a simple white and the furniture had been painted to match. On her shelf, Abigail kept a few books and a lava lamp. The room may have been sparse but it was the only home either of them had known. Abigail’s bedspread was a light lavender trimmed with peacock blue.  
Abigail sighed as she settled into bed. Her wings forced her to sleep on her side but she didn’t mind. She sent out a quiet prayer that Cassius would close the door when he came in.  
Sleep found her quickly but it was not peaceful. She was plagued with nightmares, woke several times with sweat running down her face and mouth bone dry. Abigail was covered under the duvet. She could hear Cassius snoring on the couch. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. Cassius hadn’t come in, Cassius hadn’t closed the door, the door was open--  
A strangled whimper escaped her throat and with trembling legs, Abigail got up and gently closed the door. A soft sob left her and she crawled back into bed, more exhausted than before.

When sleep came this time, it was worse.


	3. Chapter Three

     It's three in the morning and Steve is having a nightmare. It's not the usual brand of terror, where he's sinking and his lungs are filling up quick-- too quick-- with water and he's gasping for air that isn't coming. It's not the one where he's cold, not his body but his heart, watching in abject horror as Bucky slips and falls and all Steve can do is scream. He's on a rocky cliffside, somewhere unfamiliar. His body aches like he's been fighting for days and even though it isn't real he can feel tacky blood on his face, on his hands. There's a storm whipping around him, rain pouring so hard it's like bullets, the only light coming from the lightning striking across the sky. The wind screams at him to push forward. As he approaches the ledge, he sees a figure. Lightning cracks and he gets a good look: a rail-thin girl, beaten and bruised as he is, with fluffy wings outstretched to Heaven. She's dangerously close to the edge, teetering to the precipice as if she's being called down. He shouts but his voice is ragged, throat burns with the effort. She whips her head around at him and he gets a look at wide eyes full of fear and anguish. He's picked up his pace, sprinting towards her, but he's too late. She's falling, she's gone. A screech, animalistic and fearful, emits from the other side of the cliff. If only he had been faster...

     Steve is always too late.

     It's four in the morning, in some dumpy motel, and Steve is laying in bed. He's breathing hard, sweat-soaked and shaking. He sits up-- god, his mouth is dry--and casts a glance at Sam and Nat. They're asleep, trapped by their own demons, which means they won't be questioning Steve's. Fine. Better than, actually. He gets out of bed, surprisingly quiet for a man his size, and grabs the laptop they've been "borrowing". Something about that girl made Steve uneasy. She looked so real and something about her was familiar but not and it made his head spin and his stomach clench. He never believed in dreams meaning something beyond how one was feeling. Especially now, considering all his dreams were firmly nightmares. Even still, the girl had seemed so grounded in reality. There had to be something on her if she was real. He opened the laptop and got to work.

    Abigail's body ached as it had never before. Her skin was covered in bruises, her lip was busted, and her eyes were swollen from tears. The back of her shirt was soaked in blood, mixing with the rain as it trickled down her legs. She looked around frantically as she tried to piece together where she was. There's was a storm with the wind screaming and rain pounding and lightning cracking all around her. The cliff under her was uneven, jagged rock and she realized how close to the edge she was. She braved a peek down and was immediately sick. It was a seemingly bottomless pit, black as far as she could see and she felt a chill prickling her skin. She could hear...voices coming from below. Smooth, melodic singing she didn't understand. The pit seemed to beckon her forward and she took a step forward. Her body felt weighed down like she was full of lead but when she thought about just stepping off, the weight lifted. She didn't want to step off the cliff but her body wasn't being controlled by her mind, it was attracted to the pit. She almost took a shaky step forward when she hears an unfamiliar, masculine voice behind her. She turns quick and is shocked at what she sees: a bloodied man in a torn-up uniform, fists clenched at his sides, and a shield on his back. It's almost familiar and she feels like she knows this man. Her mind compels her to go to him, to get away from the pit. Her body, lulled by the pits siren song, yanked her back. She stumbled and realized she was being pulled down by the darkness.

     A yell escaped her lips as she shot up in bed. She looks around the room but nothing is out of place. Well, except for Cassius, sitting fairly undisturbed on his bed.

     He's watching her, concern creases his face. "You were screaming." He points out.

     "I had a nightmare," She leans back against the headboard, tries to make her heart rate slow.

     "Are you okay?"

     "Yeah, I'm fine."

     The door to the bedroom swings open. "All evidence to the contrary, but alright." It's just Viv.

     "I'm no stranger to nightmares." Abigail shrugs. "It was just intense."

     The older woman nods. "It's still earlier. You could get more sleep. Or, we could get an early start to our day. I could whip up some breakfast."

     Cassius perks up. "Pancakes?"

     Viv laughs, indulges his request. "Sure. That good with you Abigail?" She tosses her a concerned look.

     Abigail swallows and nods.

     Viv makes her way to the kitchen and Cassius looks back at Abigail. "It wasn't about-"

     "No!" She looks at the wide open door and reconsiders her volume. "No, no. It was just an average nightmare. I'm good, I promise."

      Cassius doesn't bother to look like he believes her but remains quiet.


End file.
